Removable blank feeding slat



Oct. 16, 1951 A. F. sHlELDs 2,571,955

REMOVABLE: BLANK FEEDING sLAT Filed March l, 1949 IN1/EN TOR. AME?? F JMELUJ BYMf/M/ Patented Oct. 16, 195i REMO-VABLE BLANK FEEDING SLAT Albert F. Shields, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to S & S Corrugated Paper Machinery Co., Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corpora-tion of New York Application March 1, 1949, Serial No. 78,991

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to box blank feeding devices and more particularly to a chain mounted readily removable and replaceable box blank feeding slat for utilization in connection with box blank feeding mechanisms of the type required in machines of the general nature shown in Patent No. 2,336,507 for a folding machine and in other machines where box blanks are fed forward through various types of apparatus which are to perform different kinds of functions with respect thereto.

In machines which operate on box blanks such as the folding machine above referred to it sometimes becomes necessary to arrange the feeding mechanism so that a variation may be made in the number of box blanks which may be fed simultaneously by a feeding chain.

Thus, for instance, where a machine may accommodate a definite number of maximum size blanks, it becomes relatively uneconomic to operate the machine at the same rate when blanks of half the maximum size are being worked.

If, however, the space between feed slats on the chain cannot be adjusted, then the smallest size blanks may be operated on at no greater speed or rate than the large size blanks.

My invention, therefore, contemplates a removable slat which may readily be placed in position or removed in order to increase the number of slats on the feeding chain when, for instance, small box blanks are to be fed thereby so that a larger number of box blanks may be accommodated. Also, where wider boxes are to be folded, the slats may readily be replaced for wider slats.

Thus, where the box blanks to be operated on by the machine are half or less than half the maximum length, then additional feeding slats may be interpolated on the chain between the original slats thereby doubling the capacity of the machine.

After the run of smaller blanks is finished, the interpolated slats may readily be removed and the original feed slats will be available for operation on large size blanks.

Also, in feeding box blanks it becomes important to hold the folded flap down during the feeding.

My novel removable slats may thus be constructed so that they will have forwardly projecting extensions to hold the folded flaps down during the feeding operation. Also, a gap may be provided in the front face to -allow the slat to pass under a hold-down sled to control the abutting edges.

The primary object of my invention, therefore, is the provision of a readily mountable and removable feed slat for utilization in connection with a feed chain or other similar device.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel feed slat having means incorporated therein for holding down the folded naps of a folded box blank during the feeding of the box blank through the machine.

The foregoing and many other objects of my invention will become apparent in the following description and drawing in which the figure is an exploded perspective view of my novel removable replaceable box blank feed slat shown in conjunction with the feed chain on which it is to be mounted.

Referring to the figure, the feed chain here shown comprises three parallel chains III, I0 which are. simultaneously operable in the feeding direction indicated by the arrow I2. The mounting or slat support piece I3 is made as a part of the chain, the said member being substituted for one of thepairs of links in each chain.

As will be seen, each of the chains I0 comprises a pair of parallel links I4, I4 pivotally mounted on opposite pins I5, I5. Each pin I5, I5 also carries another pair of parallel links IS, I6 mounted on the pin l5 on the outside of links I4.

Thus, the chain consists of alternate pairs of inside links I4 and outside links I6. The pins I5 are removed from parallel sections of each of the chains I5 at the place where a mounting block I3 is to be inserted.

'I'he mounting block I3 comprises a transverse bar having pairs of forwardly extending lugs I8 and similar pairs of rearwardly extending lugs I9. Each of the lugs is provided with an opening 2E). The distance between opposite openings 25) in aligned lugs I8, I9 is equal to the length of one of the links I6 or I4.

A single pin 22 is passed through the aligned openings 2) of lugs I8 and through the registering openings of the links I6 from which the pins I5 have been removed. A similar pin 22 is passed through the aligned openings 20 of the rearwardly extending lugs i9 and through the aligned openings of the links I4 from which the pins have been removed.

The pins 22 are then held in place by any appropriate means as, for instance, cotter pins passing through the transverse openings 24 in pins 22.

The mounting block I3 thus becomes a part of chains II), being movable therewith as essentially a link in each of the chains. The mounting block I3 is provided with recesses 2'I between adjacent pairs of lugs on each side and end recesses 28.

The removable slat comprises a flat bar which may be mounted in surface-to-surface engagement with the upper surface 3l of the mounting block I3. The blank feed surface 32 is an integral portion of bar I3 extending perpendicularly thereto.

The feed surface 32 at its lower edge is provided with recesses 35, 35 which extend over the front lug members I8, I8, the downwardly extending extensions 37 entering the recesses 21 in the bar I3. These extensions 3l prevent the box blank from being forced between the chain and slat. Surface 32 may also be extended down at the ends for the same purpose and also to give support to a sagging blank.

The downwardly extending pins 40, 49 enter into the holes 4I, 4I in the top of bar I3 to provide a simplified registry Y'means for ensuring the proper location of the feed bar 30 and the feeding surface 32 with respect to the mounting bar I3 on the chains I0.

The feeding bar 3c is then secured in place by the removable thumb screws 43, s3 which pass through openings M, 44 in bar 39 and into the tapped openings 45, of the mounting bar I3.

Screwsk 43 may be provided in appropriate frictional surface to facilitate their manual operation or may be appropriately formed to facilitate operation by a screw driver or a socket wrench.

The feed surface 32 of the feeding slat or bar 3i). may be extended as far as is necessary on the lower side of the chain IU in order to ensure a square and accurate feed of the box blank. The portion of the feeding surface 32 at the upper edge 50 may be recessed to accommodate any mechanism which operates on the upper surface of the box as, for instance, a taping head which may act on a seam of the box or a flap hold-down bar or sled under which the boa'.v may slide.

`The forwardly directed extensions 55, at the upper surface of the feeding surface 32 of the feeding slat 30 will serve to grasp and hold down the folded-over panels of the folded box blank.

By this means, a simplified readily mountable and removable feed slat is provided which may quickly be placed in position and quickly removed therefrom as the case may require. Also, the feed slat is so arranged that it will hold down the blank which is fed or if the blank is folded over, the feed slat will hold down the foldedover panels of the box blank.

In the foregoing I have described my invention solely in connection with specific illustrative embodiments thereof. Since many modifications and variations of my invention will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosures herein contained but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A removably mountable feed slat for box blank feeding machines of the type utilizing a continuously movable conveyor comprising a horizontal substantially flat support member; a feed member carried thereby and normal thereto; securing means; openings in the flat member for receiving said securing means; said conveyor carrying a block releasably interengageable With said securing means; said feed member carrying forwardly directed horizontal extensions at its upper end; said fiat support member having downwardly directed guide pins; said conveyor block having recesses to receive said guide pins.

2^. A removably mountable feed slat for box blank feeding machines of the type utilizing a continuously movablev chain comprising a horizontal substantially fiat support member; a feed member carried thereby and normal thereto; securing means; openings in the flat member for receiving said securing means; said chain having a block substituted for at least one of the links thereof; said block being releasably interengageable with said securing means; said feed slat having downwardly extending elements at the feed face thereof extending in front of said block.

3. A removably mountable feed slat for box blank feeding machines of the type utilizing a continuously movable chain comprising a horizontal substantially flat support member; a feed member carried thereby and normal thereto; securing means; openings in the flat member for receiving said securing means; said chain having a block substituted for at least one of the links thereof; said block being releasably interengageable with said securing means; said feed slat having a cut-out in the upper surface thereof to permit passage beneath a blank hold-down member.

ALBERT F. SHIELDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 392,491 Bouck Nov. 6, 1888 943,734 Coleman Dec. 21, 1909 1,032,014 Mathison July l2, 1912 1,052,666 Johnson Feb. 11, 1913 v1,468,626 Brownell Sept. 25, 1923 2,094,789 Gellatly Oct. 5, 1937 

